Site / Operations Quality Manager

Company Description

Founded in 1917, John Crane is a global leader in the design, manufacturing, and engineering of mission critical flow control solutions for increased efficiency, emission reductions and energy transformation. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems and predictive digital monitoring technologies. John Crane customer service is accessed through a global network of more than 200 global sites in over 50 countries employing more than 6,000 employees worldwide. We partner with our customers and help them meet the latest environmental standards and keep their operations safe and controlled.

John Crane is part of  Smiths Group, For over 170 years, Smiths has been improving our world through smarter engineering. Our technology benefits millions of people every day – making travel safer, supporting sustainable energy transition, efficiently heating, cooling our homes, and helping our world stay connected.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:  John Crane: LinkedIn

Job Description

About the Role

We are looking for a Site / Operations Quality Manager to lead our Quality function in Solaro, Italy. In this role, you will help ensure that our products, processes and projects meet the highest quality standards, customer expectations and applicable regulatory requirements.

You will lead and develop a team of Quality Engineers, Quality Inspectors and Welders, working closely with local leadership, international teams, customers and certification bodies. Your focus will be on maintaining a strong Quality Management System, ensuring compliance and driving continuous improvement across the site.

We welcome candidates with at least five years of relevant Quality experience. Previous managerial experience is an advantage, but it is not essential if you have the technical expertise, leadership potential and motivation to take the next step in your career.

 

What You Will Do

Quality Leadership

• Lead, support and develop the Quality team, including Quality Engineers, Quality Inspectors and Welders.

• Set departmental objectives, monitor KPIs and drive improvement initiatives aligned with business goals.

• Promote a proactive quality culture focused on prevention, accountability and continuous improvement.

• Prioritise the team's activities and collaborate with local and regional leadership to improve site performance.

Quality Management System and Compliance

• Maintain and continuously improve the Quality Management System in line with ISO 9001 and company quality policies.

• Ensure compliance with quality procedures, work instructions and process controls.

• Coordinate management reviews and monitor quality performance.

• Plan and manage internal audits, external certification audits, customer audits and regulatory assessments.

• Ensure timely resolution of audit findings and implementation of corrective actions.

• Maintain relevant certifications and approvals, including ASME U Stamp, PED 2014/68/EU, ISO 9001 and ISO 3834.

• Act as the main point of contact for Notified Bodies, certification authorities and regulatory agencies.

Project and Customer Quality

• Oversee the preparation, review and approval of Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs) and Quality Control Plans (QCPs).

• Review customer specifications and contractual quality requirements with project teams.

• Participate in project kick-off meetings and customer technical reviews when required.

• Review customer complaints, quality incidents and enquiries, ensuring appropriate investigation and follow-up.

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action activities to prevent recurrence of quality issues.

• Support supplier qualification and resolution of supplier-related quality issues.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using appropriate Lean and Six Sigma tools.

• Use quality data and performance indicators to identify trends, reduce the cost of poor quality and improve processes.

• Apply tools such as Root Cause Analysis, SPC, Control Plans, Kaizen, 5S and statistical analysis where appropriate.

• Monitor key quality metrics, including non-conformances, audit findings, documentation delivery and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

What We Are Looking For

• A Bachelor's degree in Engineering, preferably Mechanical, Industrial or Manufacturing Engineering.

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in Quality Assurance and Quality Control within a manufacturing environment.

• Experience in one or more of the following areas: Quality Inspection, Quality Engineering, welding processes or quality management.

• Background in pressure vessels, heat exchangers, process equipment or oil and gas equipment is highly relevant.

• Knowledge of Quality Management Systems and ISO 9001 requirements.

• Understanding of applicable industry standards and regulations, ideally ASME Section VIII, ASME Section IX, PED 2014/68/EU and ISO 3834.

• Knowledge of welding technologies, welding qualification processes, NDE/NDT methods and material traceability.

• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and understand complex technical issues.

• Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills, with a focus on achieving results and continuous improvement.

• Good communication and presentation skills, with the ability to work effectively with employees, management, customers and external auditors.

• Ability to work independently, make informed decisions and motivate others to achieve quality objectives.

• Native-level Italian and fluent English, both written and spoken.

• Experience with quality tools, supplier quality management, data visualisation tools such as Excel or Power BI, and SAP would also be beneficial. Internal Auditor or Lead Auditor certification is a plus.

Working at John Crane

• An opportunity to take ownership of the Quality function at an international manufacturing site.

• Collaboration with local and international teams and exposure to a range of technical and customer quality challenges.

• The opportunity to develop your leadership skills and contribute directly to quality performance and continuous improvement.

• An on-site role based in Solaro, Italy, with occasional travel to other John Crane service centres in Italy.

Please submit your CV in English.